WAYPOINT
THE NEXT GENERATION
STANDINGS
They’re determined, they love racing, and they’ve got the skill to break new ground – introducing the Challenger Cup pilots, the men who are breathing down the necks of the elite Master Class pilots THOMAS BENNETT GREAT BRITAIN
CLAUDIUS SPIEGEL GERMANY
LUKE CZEPIELA POLAND
DATE OF BIRTH: December 17, 1979 BIRTHPLACE: Stockholm, Sweden HOME: Sundsvall, Sweden WEBSITE: danielryfa.com CAREER HIGHLIGHT: Winner of the 2009 European Aerobatic Championships (Advanced)
DATE OF BIRTH: July 6, 1985 BIRTHPLACE: Shrewsbury, Shropshire, Great Britain HOME: Lincoln, Lincolnshire, Great Britain WEBSITE: bennettaerobatics.com CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: 5th in the 2012 World Aerobatic Championships (Advanced)
DATE OF BIRTH: February 14, 1989 BIRTHPLACE: Eichstätt, Germany HOME: Zurich, Switzerland CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: Winner of the 2013 German Aerobatic Championships (Freestyle), Winner of the 2012 German Aerobatic Championships (Advanced)
DATE OF BIRTH: June 8, 1983 BIRTHPLACE: Rzeszow, Poland WEBSITE: czepiela.com CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: Accomplished aerobatics and commercial pilot (Airbus A320 series); Aircraft engineer, member of Zelazny Aerobatic Team. Winner of 1st Marchelewski Memorial, 3rd place in Polish National Championships
MIKAEL BRAGEOT FRANCE
CRISTIAN BOLTON CHILE
HALIM OTHMAN MALAYSIA
JUAN VELARDE SPAIN
DATE OF BIRTH: July 31, 1987 BIRTHPLACE: Villeneuve sur Lot, France HOME: Villeneuve sur Lot, France WEBSITE: mikaelbrageot.com CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: 24th in the 2013 World Aerobatic Championships, 14th in 2011; 14th in the 2012 European Aerobatic Championships, 9th in 2010; 2nd at the 2010 European Team Aerobatic Championships; Member of the French Aerobatic Team (since 2009)
DATE OF BIRTH: October 10, 1973 BIRTHPLACE: Puerto Montt, Chile HOME: Santiago, Chile CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: Major in the Chile Air Force, squadron commander and leader of Chile’s Escuadrilla de Alta Acrobacia Halcones (Hawks High Aerobatics Squad); 2012: Air Force Academy flight instructor; 2006 to 2011: F-5 T-III operational pilot; 2000 to 2002: F-5 operational pilot; 1999: instructor at Chile’s Tactical Fighter academy; 1995: C-101 tactical fighter pilot
PETR KOPFSTEIN CZECH REPUBLIC
DATE OF BIRTH: March 18, 1978 BIRTHPLACE: Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic HOME: Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic WEBSITE: kopfstein.com CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: 2nd in the 2013 Czech National Aerobatic Championships; 14th in the 2013 World Aerobatic Championships; Three-time Czech National Aerobatic Champion (Sportsman 2005, Intermediate 2006, Advanced 2009); Member of the Czech National Aerobatic Team (since 2007)
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RED BULL AIR RACE MAGAZINE
DATE OF BIRTH: January 22, 1966 BIRTHPLACE: Johor, Malaysia HOME: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia WEBSITE: krisakti.com aerotree.com.my CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: Leader of the 4 x Extra 300L Malaysian Air Display team Krisakti or Magic Dagger; 1991: Top Gun Pilot Award for the Best Fighter Pilot in the Malaysian Air Force; Instructor in the Malaysian Air Force’s tactical Squadron
PETER PODLUNŠEK SLOVENIA
DATE OF BIRTH: May 25, 1970 BIRTHPLACE: Trbovlje, Slovenia HOME: Murska Sobota, Slovenia CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: Eight-time Slovenian National Aerobatic Champion; Winner of the Grand Aero Challenge 2010, 2nd in the Grand Aero Challenge 2009; 39th in the 2009 World Aerobatic Championships; 21st in the 2002 World Aerobatic Championships; 18th in the 1998 European Aerobatic Championships
2. DANIEL RYFA (SWE)
22 POINTS
3. TOM BENNET (GBR)
22 POINTS
4. HALIM OTHMAN (MAS)
20 POINTS
5. MIKAEL BRAGEOT (FRA)
20 POINTS
6. PETR KOPFSTEIN (CZE)
20 POINTS
7. CLAUDIUS SPIEGEL (GER)
16 POINTS
8. JUAN VELARDE (ESP)
14 POINTS
9. PETER PODLUNŠEK (SLO)
12 POINTS
10. CRISTIAN BOLTON (CHI)
8 POINTS
11. LUKE CZEPIELA (POL)
8 POINTS
ONE PLANE FOR EVERYONE ALL PILOTS OF THE CHALLENGER CUP FLY THE SAME TYPE OF AIRCRAFT, AN EXTRA 330 LX MANUFACTURER: Extra Aircraft GmbH LENGTH: 7.2m WINGSPAN: 8m ENGINE: Lycoming AEIO 580 B1A, 315hp, six-cylinder engine PROPELLER: Mühlbauer, three-blade TOP SPEED: 420kph (220kts) MAX G: +/-10G WING DESIGN: Symmetric, carbon-fibre
A new generation of pilots is set to oust the seasoned crew. Eleven men have one aim: grab the Unrestricted Superlicence and get a cockpit in the Master Class
DATE OF BIRTH: September 19, 1974 BIRTHPLACE: Madrid, Spain HOME: Madrid, Spain CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: Team 2nd and 3rd at the European Aerobatic Championships (2006, 2008); Team 2nd with the Spanish National Team at the 2007 World Aerobatic Championships
THE CHALLENGER CUP is a new element of the Red Bull Air Race, giving a new generation of pilots the chance to experience the thrills of the sport. The pilots will be racing for Challenger Cup points and valuable Red Bull Air Race experience on the Qualifying Days of the World Championship. The two aims of the Challenger Cup are to give promising pilots the chance to develop their low-altitude flying skills under race conditions and further enhance the safety of the world’s fastest motorsport series.
FRANÇOIS LE VOT FRANCE
DATE OF BIRTH: May 2, 1970 BIRTHPLACE: Tunis, Tunisia HOME: Aureille, France CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: Winner of the 2013 World Aerobatic Championships; Winner of the French Aerobatic Championships; 2nd at the 2012 European Aerobatic Championships; Winner of the 2011 French Aerobatic Championships; 3rd at the 2009 World Aerobatic Championships and Team Winner; Team 2nd at the 2008 European Aerobatic Championships; Individual 9th and Team 2nd at the 2005 World Aerobatic Championships
30 POINTS
CHALLENGER CUP
Photography: Red Bull Content Pool, Markus Kucera
DANIEL RYFA SWEDEN
1. FRANÇOIS LE VOT (FRA)
Luke Czepiela of Poland, Tom Bennett of Great Britain, Cristian Bolton of Chile, Mikael Brageot of France, Petr Kopfstein of the Czech Republic, François Le Vot of France, Halim Othman of Malaysia, Peter Podlunšek of Slovenia, Daniel Ryfa of Sweden, Claudius Spiegel of Germany and Juan Velarde of Spain are the 2014 Challenger Cup pilots. They are all holders of the Restricted Superlicence, obtained in Qualification Camps. In the Challenger Cup they will be working towards acquiring the Unrestricted Superlicence required to fly in the Master Class of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship. “I’m very excited to be part of the next generation of Red Bull Air Race,” said Brageot, who has been getting tips from his Breitling teammate Nigel Lamb. “I’ve been following the guys and the races for
years, and to now be a part of it is a dream for me. My goal is to gain as much experience as possible during the Challenger Cup races to hopefully step up and compete in the Master Class before too long.” Lamb said he was pleased to have the chance to tutor Brageot and admitted it was a learning experience for him as well. “For a newcomer, to enter the World Championship now is a huge step, so it is important to have a lot of support. Newcomers do need a lot of support, not just with the flying, but also with what happens around the flying, such as the pressures from the media. You need to manage your time very well to be mentally prepared at the right moments.” The pilots are racing in a single-plane class cup with Red Bull Air Race providing the aircraft – an Extra 330 LX. As for the racetracks, they are generally the same for the Challenger Cup as in the race itself, but it is possible that on especially difficult tracks the course could be made less challenging by deflating a few of the pylons, according to Sergio Pla, Head of Aviation at Red Bull Air Race. Each pilot must fly a minimum of three races, but can take part in all of them. In the final Challenger Cup race the best six pilots compete for a cockpit in the Master Class. RED BULL AIR RACE MAGAZINE
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